David Beckham, Miami Continue To Face Stadium Location Issue

By Jackee Arce

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Back in May, when David Beckham unofficially announced the location of his MLS expansion club, fans were looking forward to what he could bring to the league once again. Unfortunately, the road to becoming an official expansion club seems to be a slow one. There have been a lot of rumors about the club, but no concrete details have come forth besides the fact that it will be located in Miami. The biggest bump in the road is that Beckham and his partners have not been able to secure a location for the soccer-specific stadium they are planning to build.

They faced issues with other organizations when Royal Caribbean Cruises created a group opposing Beckham‘s reported MiamiPort location. Although Beckham’s group was met with this opposition, they decided to continue forward. They believed Miami’s mayor, Tomás Regalado, was on their side. So, they felt they had a sufficient shot at landing the location. Unfortunately, they were dead wrong in that aspect, because Regalado was the one to turn down their proposal. Regalado may want a soccer team in Miami, but he also has to do what is best for his residents.

To say that Beckham is merely disappointed is an understatement. He claims to have the “most equitable soccer stadium proposal that Miami, or any other city in America, has ever seen,” which is why one can see how upsetting it is to his group. Also, the fact that the entire operation will be privately funded is a huge bonus for Miami. Beckham and his group do not want to fight with residents, because they hope to be welcomed to Miami by all. Beckham is a great businessman, and he knows how to chose his battles.

So, now the group is back to stage one. It may be a challenge for them, but I know they will not give up. Miami will get its soccer stadium and its team, and Beckham will go down in history for what he continues to do for the MLS.

Jackee Arce is a soccer writer for RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @knackeredwriter, “like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.